Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-17
THE FALLAGY OF ATHEISM,
Proofs of the Actual Existence
of Living God.
Based Upon Legal Testimony as Derived
Through Ciroumstantial Evidence,
and Viewed from a Human
atend Point.
Prepared Expressly for the CHRONICLE by
@. II. slaughter. AZ
ARTICLE III.

ARTICLE III.
Plain and simple illustrations often aid In
simplifying an idea that one mind wishes to
convey TO another. in order to make such
an illustration l will kindly request the In
dulgent reader to accompany me upon an
imaginary journey; at no expense to himself
except, perhaps, the loss OF time; and this
trust will be remunerated for by what is seen,
even IL nothing is learned We will go by
private conveyance, and select for our route
a way through lands of which we have heard
but little or nothing and have never seen.
After several days, perhaps weeks OF travel,
through this ito us) strange country. we arrive
at and make our entry into city OF whose
name or even existence we have even hereto
fore been entirely ignorant. Wepass over Its
well paved streets between long rows OF mas
slve buildings. including store houses, hotels,
churches, private mansions, manufacturing
establishments, and other structures usually
seen in large cities. We find the storehouses
filled with goods ard wares OF an endless
variety, all properly placed In perfect order
upon their shelves and counters. We also
inspect the interior of Its hotels and private
residence, and find them properly supplied
with all necessary furniture, provisions. etc.
After remaining in the city as long as we
wish, we pass on beyond aud enter the lanes
/ and byways Of the adjoining country. on the
other side. As we pass ON through the coun-
try near the city, we see beautiful farm houses
| with their yards and gardens OF flowers and
vegetables, and highly cultivated farms with
fields Of corn, wheat, grasses, etc. After going
n TOM mil x.. ns.4a xxlI
ingly boundless prairie, with its regular set,
rich and nutritious grasses, bespangled and
btautiful as far as the eye can reach with
bright blooming flowers of almost every form
and coor. After few days travel through
this beautiful prairie, we enter the cool and
refreshing shades of a forest As we pass
through this forest never before intruded
upon by man, we see that 1t is composed OF
majestic trees, and also shrubs and flowers In
variety sufficiently great 10 include almost
every kind. We see here birds of every va
riety OF plumage, and note The cheerfulness
and beauty of their refrains as they chant
them flying from tree TO tree, in songs OF
praise to a wise creator. We also see animals
of many species roaming wild and free around
us, whilst from the darker glades of the forest
comes the strange cry OF the wild cat, and
the threatening roar of the lion king. But
we pass on until our journey comes to an abb
rupt termination upon the banks of majes-
tic river, whose deep and crystal waters
sparkle beneath the bright MONDAY sun as
they silently flow onward in their journey to
the sea.
AS We have no boat or other means OF cross.
ing this river, we will here pitch our tent
for So n,
various incidents of this pleasant, but in one
respect, very strange journey. That strange
feature Is this: Since the first day upon which
we began ourjourney, with the exception o.
ourselves we have not seen a single being
of the human species. Neither In the coun,
try, nor within the great city through which
we passed, has the presence or voice of man
woman or child been seen or heard by us
Within the city and among those we'll cult
waited farms of the adjacent country, we have
seen every sign eff habitation or occupancy
except the occupants themselves In othe
words we have seen very plainly the foo
prints of man, but did not see man himself
This statement of an imaginary journey ha
not been made for the purpose of excitin,
curiosity, but simply toillustrate by compari
son positive and circumstantial evidence
and also to show further the Inconsistency o
Atheism.
Notwithstanding the fact that we hav
, never before seen or even heard of this city
and also the fact that we have not seen
single human baing within or near it, we ar
as intelligent beings, knowing that the day
OF enchantment belong only to the dark age
of the past compelled to believe that maj
nd MN :.
confirmed Atheists, our belief in this partic
ular must necessarily be the same. Withou
the aid of acquired knowledge, Instinct, min
gled with that common sense with which w
are by nature endowed, tells us IT, at thes
buildings, stocks of merchandise, and othe
APPENDICES of the city, including those work
l of art in the country near, could not hav
4 come by chance. 1t tells us further that eacl
and all of these works of art, from that of tn
,ast value within their stocks of merchan
d Sc to the grandest building OF the city, wer
created through the aid ofintelligence for
purpose, and that they are the works of man
We have in this case plainly illustrated tn
two classes of evidence accepted as legal, an
usually used in human courts of justice
Whilst the one is termed positive" tn
other can only be regarded as "circumstan
tial"
We have positive" evidence of the city
existence, because we have seen 1t In perso
and can so testify under oath. But we hav
only "circumstantial" evidence of the fac
I that the city and the works of art therein ar
the creations of man. But If the one is true
. the other is also true, and will be SO regards
by all sane and intelligent persons. Havin
}. established to the satisfaction of ourselves am
|. others the two facts named, the one by posi-
: tive evidence and the other by circumstantia
evidence, we will now proceed to review othe
products or creations seen upon our journe
|. beyond the foot prints of man. We hav
seen grand prairie of rich, nutritious grasse
$ which for extent regularity of growth an
general appearance far surpasses the meadow
. and grain fields planted and attended unde
the supervision of man. We have passe
= through the refreshing shades of flores
whose mighty oaks and trees of various othe
woods stood as firmly and reached as far NJ
+ ward toward the blue vaults of Heaven as d
!. the IN ,ssive walls and imineretts and tower
within the city Of man. We have seen rar
8 evergreens, rich foliage and bright flower
growing more freshly and beautiful tina
!. those within the lawns and gardens Of maI
- / W. f.aa =